When you work in radio for long enough and you care about the listeners that are your “regulars”, you pick up on their way of speaking, when they will call you, why they will call you and when they need you to be there for them.

620 CKRM is that kind of radio station. Actually, anywhere I’ve worked has been that kind of station, so that says much about the industry we are in. Radio is all about service to the public, the listeners often become more than just a set of ears, they become people we benchmark our day, week, month or year with. Social media has moved people to other forms of listening and some of that interpersonal connection is lost.

Radio hosts when connected with their listenership, worry about voices that we don’t hear from. And let me tell you, our listeners do share some of the most personal things. Sometimes these thoughts are on the air, it makes them very vulnerable. Some of these non-filtered thoughts shock and amaze people and those of us at the station. So much so that we have had to set those people on a “banned” list for a period of time. Some of our listeners have shared very personal things with us off the air and we have reached out to help them with their emotional struggles. This is done because we care about those that know everything about us. Radio can be a curtain to hide behind or it can be an open book. I would suggest that Saskatchewan listeners feel they know the CKRM crew pretty well.

This week, I have two people that I’ve been thinking about. One voice was very well known to the FLEA MARKET listeners. And he was full of surprises, sometimes we had no clue what he was talking about, but that was part of the endearing quality, I guess you could say! I am of course talking about our friend Bill Hood. Bill was the voice, but his one and only love, Elsie was the spark that we didn’t hear on the air. Elsie passed on April 16th and Bill followed about a month later.

I’m not sure over the years whether or not any of the other CKRM announce staff ever spent much time with Bill and Elsie but Cody and I did. Bill would buy us lunch, we just had to pick it up or meet him for Chinese food. And we would stop by and visit them in their Uplands home. Which was always filled with treats and eats. The Hood’s had a wonderful community of neighbours that helped in the couple through many things as Covid times came and went. During major celebrations there would be various signage on their front lawn! Celebrations of birthdays and anniversaries were well announced.

I find it so unfortunate that we find out all the marvelous things about people when they are gone.

There’s no doubt that Bill & Elsie were very generous to family and friends but in different ways then you might think. Whether it was Bill going to truck stops and chatting with truckers and giving them pens and pads or some other thing OR making Cody pickled eggs. There were always surprises.

I’m sure on the anniversaries of the passing of Elsie & Bill, their family and friends will have many fond memories of gardening, visiting, dinners and lunches, keeping the City of Regina in line for not cleaning the snow or sweeping the streets in their Uplands Community! Bill’s laugh and having opinions on everything. And his collection of things.

We won’t forget this favourite saying from Bill, “MAMA NEEDS MILK” . Oddly enough the things Bill would try to sell, would probably not buy milk today! If we still had the Flea and Bill, he’d have to up his prices!